The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-04-21
A POPULAR GEORGIAN.
A Great Authority on Sporting Subjects,
but Language Was His Forte.

A Great Authority on Sporting Subjects,
but Language Was His Forte.
The recent death of Samuel Tant in
Gainesville removes from life one of
the most original men in Georgia. He
had the brush of an artist which ran
into sign-painting and house-decorat-
ing. He was skillful painter and de
signer. Tant had also the tempera-
ment of an artist. He possessed the
spirit of rowing and had seen many
sides of life. and was familiar with all
phases of character. He was authority
on sporting subjects. Music and min
strelsy had especial charms for him.
he appreciated genuine humor, and
was quick to expose quackery on the
! burnt-cork boards. Baseball amount
ed to a passion. He caught the slang
of the stage and field, and used it in
the most picturesque way. Language
was his forte. Words were welded and
modelled anew under his tongue, and
although the effect was startling at
times there was never any doubt as to
his meaning.
He was an oddity. When he moved
to Augusta he put out a beautiful
sign-''T. Sam Tant, Paintery."
The last word was startler. His
friends asked him where he got his
authority for ''paintery." He said it
suited him. A bakers shop was a
bakery; why was not a painters shop
paintery. He never changed his
sign.
Tant's shop was in the old Opera
House arcade in Augusta. After the
burning of 1888 he used to call himself
''the phoenix of the town" He sur
vived fires and financial wrecks and
sailed on unperturbed.
He had lived everywhere and had
engaged in all sorts of business. He
was versatile and companionable
fellow, who would make friends and
find listeners. During the cold spell in
Athens he had the crowd around the
Commercial hotel stove entertained all
the time. He was for a while locOmo-
tive engineer on the Alabama Great
Southern railroad. He said he could
run an engine into the round-house as
pretty as any man on the road. One
day he dropped the trucks of the L.
q. c. Lamar over into the turn table, y
and retired from the business.
Sam used to give an amusing account
of trip up the Mississippi river. He
was bound for Memphis The steam
boat ran aground, broke her rudder,
and the captain announced that, as the
,tal,yr y,rD,,ll H., 1ny,1r l, ,,-,rr1l -g,,l h.,
passengers ashore or transfer them to
another boat. ''It was in the sum
mer,' said Tant, business was dull,
and | was not in hurry to get to
Memphis anyway ! refused to be
transferred; told him my ticket re.
quired him to put me down in Memphis
and | would remain on board till he
was ready to go. l staid two weeks,
had good fare free, enjoyed the river
,scenes without pay and got in Mem
phis IN due time" Those who knew
Tant do not doubt that he was pop
ular part of the boat before the trip
was ended.
At one time he started a system OF
Turkish baths in Augusta that were
very popular. Again he worked an
enterprise to bring down Chicago
meats on ice, and ran refrigerator car
on the way freight up and down the
Georgia railroad. 1t carried the best
meats and vegetables, melons, ice, beer,
etc. 1t was equal to three or four good
market stalls, and its passing was
big treat to the people along the line,
who seldom failed to draw upon the
store. Tant would deal out the viands
with a liberal hand. Whenever .
thirsty or lonely fellow would ask him
he would take him into his car, give
him something to eat, and thirty or
forty mile ride.
Tant used to call all good fellows
'.thoroughbreds." He believed to use
his own words, in keeping up with
the bell-cow and galloping with the
gang" He liked to talk with the
prominent men. Gen. E. p Alexander
was a great favOrite with him, and
pronounced Tant the most original man
he ever met. He did not think much OF
modern statesmen. He said there were
bright bohemians in Washington who
wrote speeches for congressman and
who ''would put language in them that
would send Daniel Webster to bed
Describing a meeting with Mr..
George |. Seney once, Tant said he felt
like he was pitching to the third hit
ter Cf the world
Had he stuck closely to house and
sign painting he would have made his
fortune, for he was thoroughly up in
everything relating to what he was
fond of calling 1.-the profession" He
used to say that he had prolonged the
lives OF several wealthy octogenarians
in Augusta by persuading them to let
him paint their houses. His brush
would furnish change of scene," he
declared, and was equal to a trip
abroad.-AthenS (Gd. Banner.